Finally, But Goodbye
by lemonmalfoy
Summary: After all these years, Cloud finally shows his affections for Tifa... but, now, as she lies dying, all she can do in return is say Goodbye. Oneshot. Cloti. Post DofC.


Finally, But Goodbye

By lemonmalfoy

This was it.

Tifa knew it.

She was going to die.

It wasn't the first time she'd brushed elbows with death, but this time, she felt its boney fingers digging into her very soul, uprooting it, tendril by tendril, from her mangled body.

She just knew that it was her time to go… this time.

But why did it have to be here?

Why did it have to be now?

After everything was so… was… so…

"Guhhn…gerff…"

She sputter unintelligibly in, the pain straining her jaw as her lungs struggled to pushed air out with her quaking diaphragm. Each breath of air felt like sharp daggers, tasting like fresh spilt blood mixed with mud.

Just minutes ago, she was smiling and even was humming to herself a new favorite song of hers.

Her mind was happily replaying a scene from earlier that day. The scene that, she felt, would leave her in an eternal good mood…

"_Hey, Cloud. You're early." _

_Man, she loved those clear blue eyes. Nowadays they took on a new kind of glow. _

"_Yeah, thought I'd surprise them. Are they ready to go?"_

"_Yes sir! Everything is finally packed. I think they were playing some games upstairs to pass the time until you got home."_

"_I hope they're behaving. Denzel is a poor sport."_

_As if on cue, they heard several loud thumps and various shouts._

"_No WAY! I won that round!"_

"_You cheated! I'm gonna tell Tifa!"_

"_Stop being such a baby! That's how you play the game!"_

"_I am not a baby!"_

"_Why are ya cryin' then?"_

"_B-because I… because you…TIFAAAA!"_

_Cloud looked to Tifa and she smiled, rolled her eyes and got back to wiping her counter._

_More thumping and the proximity of the thumps meant that the kids were now barreling down the stairs._

_In a flash of brown braids and tears, Marlene flew into Tifa's back, throwing her arms around her waist._

"_T-Tiiiifa,Denzel… he…"_

_Denzel wasn't too far behind her, face red and fuming._

"_Tifa! I really wasn't cheating! Not _this _time…"_

_Denzel's argument trailed off into nothing as he suddenly noticed that Tifa wasn't alone downstairs._

"_Cloud!"_

_Then, as soon as the whole mess started, it was over, with both kids flinging themselves at the now smiling Cloud. _

"_Cloud, you're early! We missed you!"_

"_Yeah, we missed you!"_

_Tifa couldn't help but be filled with joy watching the entire exchange. Finally, after all they'd been through as a family, Cloud was happy. She could see it in his smile. _

_He did it regularly now. His smile was always slow and smooth, without any hitches or awkward angles. It was like he took extra time to put all he had into each movement of his lips, thus calculating a perfect, absolutely gorgeous smile that stole her breath away every time. _

_They weren't even huge, flashy grins. _

_Just small and simple._

_Small, simple, cherished._

"_Get your gear and meet me down by Fenrir. I told your dad we'd be there a little early so he's waiting for us now. I took Shelke to the campsite earlier too."_

_Marlene squealed in delight as she and Denzel excitedly clamored up the stairs._

"_Yay! Daddy and Shelke!"_

"_This' gonna be awesome!"_

_Tifa laughed as she went back to her cleaning. There was a new, oddly colored scratch in her counter and she crinkled her nose in disappointment at its existence. She sighed and tried to scrub at it harder._

"_I think that one's permanent."_

_She looked up and was startled to find Cloud closely inspecting the indention just inches away from her. She swallowed hard at the invisible hairball in her throat and turned her head away to hide the blush that reddened her face. _

"_No… that's sad. My perfect counter. Those barbarians…"_

"_Tifa?" His head was still so close to hers, his eyes still on the blemish on the countertop. Her face felt so red._

"_Yes, Cloud?"_

"_Thank you. For everything." _

_It was then that he turned his eyes upwards to meet her gaze. His eyes glowed softly, gently speaking volumes. _

_Then they focused on her lips, and she almost passed out from the thought._

_Did he want to…?_

_And finally, Cloud's head leveled itself with hers, his eyes never leaving her face. His hands braced the counter in the same manner as Tifa's as his lips drew closer. She couldn't tell, but she wished with all her soul, that Cloud's heart was beating as hard and as fast as hers._

_Their eyelids drifted downwards as they grew closer and closer, until…_

"_YEAH! Let's go!"_

"_I wanna sit in the front of Cloud! By the handlebars!"_

"_That's the only place you can fit, dummy."_

"_I'm not a dummy! Did you hear that Cloud?"_

_Tifa sighs as Marlene takes Cloud's hand and leads him outside._

"_Bye Tifa! Love you!" Marlene waves behind her as she and Cloud exit through the front door._

"_Yeah, see you later, Tifa! Take care!" Denzel shuts the door behind him._

_Tifa rushes to the windows to catch a last glimpse of the man who had held her heart for the past fifteen years. She touched the glass tenderly as she viewed him and her beloved children on the street below. Before driving away on his motorcycle with the kids in tow and strapped on, he turned his eyes up to Tifa and smiled, giving a rather timid wave goodbye._

_After fifteen years… finally…_

Then she was back to the present.

Tifa had celebrated her near happy ending, as she viewed it, with a daydream walk outside of Edge.

Suddenly, she felt like being outside, with the fresh air and nature.

It was in hers and Cloud's blood.

They were Podunk, backwater, country bumpkin, Nibelheim kids after all.

She grinned at the thought with pride.

She had wished that he could be there with her, but she would have to settle with those lovely memories of how they almost kissed.

Another blush threatened her face as she thought of what would happen once he got home.

She was sure that there would be a real kiss involved this time.

She would definitely tell him that she loved him.

Yes.

Tomorrow, when he got back, she would definitely tell him that she loved him.

Then… hopefully, kiss him.

A lot.

The memory happily resurfaced again with a smile—

Only to be dissolved instantaneously by a sudden, screaming pain that ripped through her back.

Tifa looked down in horror as she saw a puddle of blood pooling in the dirt and grass at her feet. She whipped her body around and rolled out of the way right before a monstrous claw swiped in the air where she stood a moment ago. She was left gasping in pain as she braced herself with one hand on the ground. The massive claw belongedto a large reptilian monster with glowing red eyes. It looked murderous as its scales glinted with an acute sharpness.

Although she was terribly wounded, and pain coursed through every pain in her body, she didn't want to die. So she fought with everything she had to live.

It began to rain.

In a few minutes, the battle was over.

The smoking body of the thing that caused her to be in this state lay in the distance, dead. With her strength, she managed to maul it far worse than it did to her.

Water from the sky chilled Tifa's body, numbing it slightly, taking away some of the pain.

She could feel her life pulsing away with each beat of her heart.

All hope was gone, and bleeding out of her as rapidly as her blood. It was replaced with a heavy sadness that gripped her as she lay on the cold, muddy earth.

Nobody would come and save her.

Nobody knew where she was.

Cloud wouldn't be back until tomorrow.

Cloud wouldn't even know…

"C…loud!"

She ground out a soft, desperate plea for her childhood love.

Her tears melted into the raindrops that fell heavier and faster in the oncoming darkness.

They wouldn't finally get that kiss she had always dreamed about.

She wouldn't be able to finally look into his deep, sky blue eyes and tell him that she loved him.

He had finally, _finally_, plucked up the courage to tell her thank you.

For everything.

And in Cloud's special language, it meant to Tifa…

_Finally, I love you._

With the recognition of this, her years of hoping and dreaming ending with Cloud's happiness and appreciation, Tifa could not resist the pull of the Lifestream anymore. It was warm and pleasant.

It seemed to be calling her name with such a beautiful, angelic voice.

"_Tifa."_

"_Tifa."_

"Goodbye… Clou.."

Then she felt at peace and shut her eyes.

"No!"

" Tifa! No, Tifa, please!"

Tifa's eyes were shut close. She couldn't open them because she was pressed so hard against something firm and warm.

"Come on! Work!"

It was Cloud.

He was in the Lifestream with her. Was this the Promised Land?

Nope.

It was the 7th Heaven. She could tell by the smell of it. Clean, yet always frustratingly dirty.

She could feel a familiar warmth spreading through her body, tingling in places that used to be aching, throbbing, and hurting. It was the feeling of a healing potion.

She was alive!

And somehow Cloud had come for her!

Tears pricked her eyes as little by little, her strength poured back into her body.

"Cloud… I thought you… were gone…"

Tifa whispered weakly into his shirt. In a flash, she was pulled by her arms until she could see Cloud's face.

"Tifa!"

Cloud's bright blue eyes were darkened by fear and worry. He looked like he was in agony as he searched her face.

"I should've stayed. Tifa. I thought you were dead!"

Tifa smiled and touched his face with a cold hand.

"I was dumb. It wasn't your fault."

She swiped her fingers delicately over his furrowed brow.

"I love you, Cloud."

The words took so many years to break from her locked and guarded heart, and yet, once they were free, they seemed to flow out as if she'd said it to him millions of times.

Cloud looked to be frozen by her statement of love for him. His eyes widened as he held her in his arms. It emboldened her.

"I've wanted to kiss you all day."

She tried to say it as sweet as one could, being so close to death only minutes ago.

It was Cloud's turn to blush. His response was low, yet crystal clear.

"I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you…"

He lowered his lips down to hers.

Then there it was.

The kiss of a lifetime for the love of a lifetime, years in the making.

_Finally…_

The End.

Tifa is the best. You go girl. I heart you so much. If anyone loves writing ZackxTifa fanfics, please write more! I crave them. Pleeeeease!

-lemonmalfoy


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